"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'." (John 7:38)




"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual." (1Cor. 2:12-13)

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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Easter Sunday

"And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:31-32)

"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless." (Matthew 22:11-12)

"Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27)

Those who celebrate Resurrection Sunday while avoiding their own Good Friday, will just end up laying a big easter egg.

PJR


"We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ." (2 Thessalonians 3:4-5)

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

God With Us

Since our righteousness is achieved by what Christ alone accomplished, we should be very humbled. Since it is by God's grace alone we ourselves have not been judged, this should prevent us from judging others. We should, rather, be interceding for those whom Christ died for as well. Whether friend or foe, we are to love all.

It is the love of the Father for us, by the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, that brings about a recognition of our own sinfulness. (John 16:8) He alone works repentance in us. (2Timothy 2:25) Confessing and embracing this, we then have the ability to turn this love towards others, becoming ambassadors for Christ.

Those who judge sinners whose hearts are repentant fail to understand that this repentance is the evidence of God's holy work in their lives. The love of God is not in those who judge. They are still blind and deaf.

"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little." (Luke 7:47) Our love for others is proportionate to the degree in which we perceive God has forgiven us.

God's love for the world manifests itself when His children know they have been saved from themselves and become resurrected into the life of Christ; no longer living to themselves, but to Him who has called them to go in the same manner of love that He came; Immanuel...God with us.

PJR

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Faith, Hope, And Love

Below are some Scriptures that give us insight as to how each one of us came to possess the abilities we utilize and enjoy here on earth, both in our natural and spiritual lives.

How we receive our physical gifts.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13)

"Then Moses said to the Israelites, 'See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And He has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.'" (Exodus 35:30; 36:1)

How we receive our spiritual gifts.

"But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding." (Job 32:8)
 

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as He determines." (1Corinthians 12:7-11)

"It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-14)

How We Steward our physical and spiritual gifts.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10)

"So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church." (1Corinthians 14:12)


"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!' The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!' Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" (Matthew 25:14-30)

All gifts will eventually pass away.

The physical

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality." (1Corinthians 15:50-53)

The spiritual

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)

If at any time during the life of a Christian, the Lord were to immediately remove every good gift He has given them thus far, He would not remove His gift of faith, hope & love, for this is the seal of the Holy Spirit upon us. (Ephesians 1:13-14) These are the three gifts which bear the life of Jesus and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in and through us, regardless of the absence of any other blessing.

There will come a time where faith (the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen- Hebrews 11:1) and hope (our irrefutable confidence- Romans 5:5) will have fulfilled their purpose, leaving us with the last and greatest of all blessings; love; the Lord Himself! Our Husband!

Here then, are some fundamental and foundational scriptures about faith, hope, and love that we may embrace as evidence that we belong to Him.

"But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:18)

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26)

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  
(Hebrews 11:6)

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  
(1 Peter 3:15)

"For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly await for the hope of righteousness." (Ephesians 5:5)

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth." (Colossians 1:3-6)

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  
(Ephesians 3:14-19)

For all the gifts that God has blessed us with, this is the ultimate purpose for them.

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

PJR

"All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change." (James 1:17)

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Disciplined By Love

In the absence of authority, people entertain the depraved desires of their hearts. Thus, laws are enacted for the sake of peace and protection of citizens in a society. Yet to simply demand obedience to these laws will only encourage rebellion against them. So there is added an incentive to obey; penalties for those who break the law. Without consequence there can be no discipline. So there is a fear in the mind of every one who contemplates breaking the law; the consideration of what it will cost them should they be caught. It is this fear that will deter many from following through.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (1 John 4:18)

The body of Christ, however, is not disciplined by fear, but by the laws of love that come through Christ's sacrifice for the redemption of our sinful nature (Hebrews 10:10); for "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

PJR

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:14)

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Commanded Obedience

The voice of authority projects and protects its interests and responsibilities through commanded obedience. It establishes for itself followers of submission to help carry out their agenda. There will always be those who refuse to come under a particular authority. They will complain that such authority violates their personal freedom, and defiance is their immediate reaction towards it. Yet God knows the destruction of His creation within the mindset of outward rebellion. (Jude 1:10-11)

God's desire for His elect is to guide them towards a selfless life in Jesus by the life and power of the Holy Spirit. Those outside the church, however, can only perceive God as an oppressive authority who demands mindless submission from His followers.

Truly, there is no one even capable of submitting to God by their own will. Any relationship one might seek with God must find mutual ground between themselves and God. Yet a covenant with God is unattainable without a witness of His Spirit within, and that occupation is determined by what Jesus alone laid down His life for: the elect...His bride. By this, the family of God has ceased to relate with Him by mere commanded obedience. In God's new covenant, everything has become "yes! and amen!". Our submission is no longer controlled by fear (1 John 4:18), but is born again into a living intimate relationship of child and Father, bride and Bridegroom. Since we have become adopted children and are being made into the bride of Christ, we also receive His grace where condemnation was the just judgment, mercy where guilty was the just verdict, and eternal life where death was the just penalty.

Commanded obedience is the essence of any and all laws, but an authentic faith in Jesus has freed us from being ruled and judged by the old covenant law. (Acts 13:39) Yet paradoxically, through this God given faith, we are actually fulfilling that law (Romans 3:31), out of love for the one who first loved us.

 
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:3-14)

PJR


"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Canon

There is an interesting history about how the collection of writings contained in the Protestant and Catholic Bible were chosen. The term "Holy Bible" can apply to any collection of religious writings but these are the two main Christian Bibles in print. While the Bible of Catholicism contains all the writings found in the Protestant Bible, it also has additional writings not included in the Protestant canon, which the protestants do not consider to be written by divine inspiration. But how can we really know which archaic literature is inspired by God for His people?

By value of topical content alone, there is no end to the writing of books.

"The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body." (Ecclesiastes 12:11,12)

Divinely inspired literature however is known only within the soul of those who recognize the Spirit of God dwelling richly within a particular text.

"We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the holy Scripture; and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts." — Westminster Confession, 1647.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God (inspired) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

Many writings have an appearance of godliness, but for the spiritually discerning, they certainly lack "...the power thereof." (2 Timothy 3:5) ...that is, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit behind it. Though God's children have the Spiritual burden to evangelize, teach, reprove, and correct others by the use of Scripture, it is only by the active presence of the Holy Spirit that accompanies the text in the midst of such duties whereby Scripture becomes inspired and profitable. (Acts 16:6)

There are many bibles among many religions in the world today. Holy Scripture is not determined by its compilation within a book, but rather by the presence of its Holy inspiration, proven by the Spiritual author Himself, unto the ones whom His Spirit dwells within. When we are able to test the spirit to see whether it is of God or not (1 John 4:1), we can then determine whether a particular writing is to be included in our canon.

"If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you."
(1 Corinthians 14:23-25)

"Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10)

The Holy Scriptures themselves are prophetic by the inspiration of God for the purpose of revealing Jesus: as Lord to the lost, and as husband to the church. Therefore, not all prophecy and scripture in the world is God breathed.

PJR

"...these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God." (1Corinthians 2:10)

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Judgment Or Discernment

"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:1-5)

Except for God's sovereign grace, we are all capable of indulging in anything known to fallen mankind.

The first verse states that those who judge others condemn themselves because they practice the very same thing. The reason a person is able to accuse another, is because the human depravity they recognize and judge is potentially present within themselves.

Should we fully comprehend that we have been saved from ourselves by God's grace alone, we would not perceive another's behavior as something to judge, rather something to forgive and afford grace toward... that same grace and forgiveness we freely received. However, as we find ourselves inclined to judge others, it is because we have not yet been enlightened to the magnitude of what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us. (Romans 5:8)

So it is, with a passion to establish a self-righteousness apart from Christ that we judge others; and that to our own condemnation. If we are to see others through the eyes of God, we must be more than just knowledgeable of Jesus. We must be knowledgeable in Him. (Romans 8:1)

"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"
(James 4:11-12)

When we pronounce judgment upon someone, we are in essence:

-denying grace. This type of judgment is reserved for God against the unrighteous; those who are not the elect of God, and decrees a verdict of condemnation by Him alone. (Matthew 22:13)

-dispensing the law for the sake of bearing witness against the actions and attitudes of others. This runs contrary to the biblical mandate for Christians in dealing with transgressors. (Matthew 18:15-17)

-mocking God's creation, as though they were not made in His image. (Matthew 5:22)

 When we judge, we are declaring that others are unworthy of God's grace.

We have essentially turned the law upon our neighbor to be declared guilty under it. Yet ourselves, having been freed from being judged by the law because of the gift of grace, now judge that the law should be used against our neighbor while embracing that it doesn't apply to us.
(Matthew 18:27-28)
We are denying our neighbor this same grace. We are denying the command to forgive others. (Mark 11:25)

"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."(Mark12:28-31)

To judge someone is to defy the two greatest commandments of God.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)

To judge by the law is to deny Jesus.

Now, to judge according to grace is freedom from judgment by the law. It provides opportunity for others to confess their sins and for the Holy Spirit to work repentance into the heart. This is exactly why Jesus came into the world.

But we can't just dwell on the subject of judgment without introducing the matter of accountability which plays such a vital role in the church.

Recognizing and confronting evil should not be mistaken as judging a person. Human judgment is a partial knowledge assumption presumed upon another person's motives and position with God, based simply on the evident circumstances that are perceived by the one judging. The motives behind this type of judgment are numerous and its source is demonic.

Discernment, however, is the ability to correctly identify the true spirit of attitudes and behaviors of others.

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

Practical discernment comes by being immersed in God's character and precepts, but spiritual discernment comes by the power of the Holy Spirit, working through those whom God has bestowed the gift to. They will stand as an illuminating light against all forms of rebellion and dark authorities that set themselves up to deceive God's creation. In spite of the enemy's commanding presence, their true motivations will be exposed and their hypocrisy revealed.

In regards to the carnal behavior of believers, confrontation is the required business of every child of God for the sake of accountability within the body of Christ. Yet none of this is to anyone's advantage if love for our fellow man is not the ultimate passion. Confrontation without the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit through prayer will always be perceived as judgmental.

Below are several Biblical examples of appropriate judgments on those whose actions were clearly contrary to the Spirit of God.

"Jesus answered them, 'I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.'" (John 7:21-24)

"But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. 'Purge the evil person from among you.'" (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)

"One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth."
(Titus 1:12-14)

The following is an extreme example of how seriously God regards integrity, honesty and accountability in the church, even after Jesus' resurrection.

"But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.' When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

"After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, 'Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.' And she said, 'Yes, for so much.' But Peter said to her, 'How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.' Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things."
(Acts 5:1-11)

PJR


"The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one." (1 Corinthians 2:15)

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hidden Trouble

A few years back I got a call from my youngest daughter telling me her dishwasher wasn't working. She asked if I could come by and find what the problem was. She mentioned that when there was a power outage, as was the case, the breaker in the electrical panel would have to be reset, solving the issue. This time it didn't work.

When I got there, I did the usual diagnosis of determining the closest point where power was interrupted. It turned out to be the switches on the wall. As I pulled the switches out of the wall, I found one loose wire and one that had come completely out of the terminal. Having reconnected these, the dishwasher still didn't work. Eventually, I discovered that the micro-switch on the dishwasher door would not engage if the door was not completely shut (though it appeared to be).

When I informed her the dishwasher was now working, she asked me what the problem was. I could have pointed out any one of those things, but honestly it was all of them; a compound problem. Two of the wires may have been close enough to make contact if the electricity was able to jump the gap, and the micro-switch may or may not have been engaged. If electricity has to 'jump' to make a connection, there is always a possibility of a fire. If the micro-switch had not been engaging, I would have never gone to the wall switch to discover the other potentially dangerous conditions.

I thought about how, as Christians, our own problems can be very similar. The troubles that are evident on the surface often times consist of other hidden dangers we aren't even aware of. Without the fellowship of others, we may not recognize the underlying spiritual issues beyond the obvious present struggle. Apart from other believers, our vision is severely limited and our focus extremely narrow...and that is by Design.

This is one of the blessings we reap when we fellowship with others in the faith. Hebrews 10:25 tells us, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." The body of Christ manifests its intimacy with Jesus through Spiritual fellowship (Matthew 18:20). As we confess our hearts and pray for one another, the depth of our struggles will be revealed and the hidden work of the enemy exposed.

So...why isn't your dishwasher working?

PJR

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
(John 10:10)

Saturday, March 2, 2013

The Truth About Knowledge

Knowledge alone is not truth. At its best, knowledge alone is puffed up. At worst, it destroys. It was knowledge alone that deceived Eve. It was by knowledge alone that the affections of God's chosen nation continually turned back to the world. It is only when we walk in the light of knowledge that truth is intimately known.  (1 John 1:6,7; John 3:21)

Today, the masses of church attenders are eager to embrace a fellowship claimed by mere association with others who regard not truth, but a commanding knowledge of their religious environment; a knowledge lacking the life of the Spirit, evidenced by their conformity to the system of the world. Their confidence is supported by one another, similar to patrons of a bar. They build up and encourage a community of companionship nourished by mutual acceptance. These common communities become either tolerant or legalistic, for the purpose of comforting the astute and controlling the ignorant. They are full of toil and void of the truth because knowledge alone is their master, refusing to allow the Holy Spirit to turn that knowledge into abundant life. (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:7; 1 Corinthians 11:19)

PJR

"They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
(1 John 4:5,6)